I'M BAAAAAACKKK (I hope)

We had our West High School class reunion last week and what an interesting group we are. There are so many that have passed on and they had a large wall with all of the obituaries of those classmates that had died which was really interesting because it was a trip back in time. Our 1948 basketball team was honored because they had taken State Championship that year and many of the classmates had traveled from all over to be there. Ray Hale one of the Alumni and who is a great friend of Clark paid for the whole thing our catered dinner which was really first class and (I broke my diet) but oh well I really felt guilty but it was wonderful. Clark who was more interested in what went on than me was instigator of a book of remembrance of the team and gave each one of them a book. What a good sport addict Clark is because he knew more about each one of the players than I ever did and it was my graduating class. It was fun anyway. Clark made me stand up and recognized me which was kind of embarrassing but oh well. The event was really great and I am glad that I went. I don't know if we will be having any more these events. I can't believe how old we are and still around (amazing).

I started this post just after my reunion and then things went crazy around here and I just couldn't get around to posting, soooooo, I have been on this crazy diet for almost 3 weeks and BELIEVE IT OR NOT I HAVEN'T KILLED ANYONE YET. I have lost about 4 lbs. but I think I still have a GREAT BIG CRAVING FOR CHOCOLATE. I guess the events of everyday life is really stressful and I wish that I could be call, cool, and collected but I just can't so there. I still am working at the Records Dept. of the Church (the Lost and Found. I really love the people there. As for my diet is concerned I really do believe that I have fat bones and can't help it.

This is Saturday and it is Fall Conference and naturally it is raining. I certainly have enjoyed it so far. I have got to quit worrying about the economic situation because there is much greed and corruption but I will still get sucked into trying to win the $1 million dollar sweepstakes - like they told us in conference WE GOT TO HAVE HOPE AND FAITH AND CHARITY. Also we must have the faith that our new President will provide for all of us heck why can't they give all of us a little of the Pork out of the bailout of $700 Billion that has just passed.

On a lighter note, we know how we must live and things may get tough but we will all survive and eat out of our food storage that we have especially the TONS OF WHEAT WE HAVE STORED SO KIDS REMEMBER YOU CAN ALL COME AND PARTICIPATE EATING THE WHEAT THAT WE HAVE STORED AND THE SOLIDIFIED HONEY THAT HAS BEEN STORE IN SUCH LARGE CANS THAT WE BOUGHT 30 YRS AGO. Just look for exciting recipes for the wheat and other things that I need to take an inventory of. My Grandpa Stevens always said hitch up your (I don't know quite how to spell ) gallases and tighten your belt and enjoy the ride.

Enjoy conference and I will to. I sure do love my kids, all of you and GET OUT AND VOTE it does make a difference. I will post pictures when my computer doesn't throw me out of AOL

AN AFTERNOON OF DIVINE INTERVENTION!!!!!

It's funny because yesterday was a really tired day for me but I am committed to go to the Records Dept. on Mondays for 4 hrs. so I got myself ready running slow of course but I picked up Connie Coates and we DID arrive on time to fulfill our assignment. This was a day of wondering if what I was doing was really making a difference. I settled down with my stack of papers to go through and to call the people that are listed on the sheets. My mind kept wondering because of the stressful week we had had and always I have a prayer in my heart for me to make the right connections. That is all that I can tell you about my calling but knew my girls were home working and cleaning up the messes that was outside and I was just torn because I felt that I needed to be home and after all I am just a VOLUNTEER my badge says so and I kept on working. I had many people just hang up on me and many didn't know the person that I was calling about and some that I contacted told me that it was JUST NONE OF MY BUSINESS. This is a usual day so I forged on and I was really batting a big fat zero on any addresses. It was around 3:30 and we were told to begin to clean up so I made one more call and it was just one sheet of paper and the woman I was looking for was born in 1948 so this would make her 60 yrs old anyway I dialed the number and this lady picked up the phone WHICH WAS A BIG SURPRISE TO ME but I asked for the people that the telephone number was listed in and I heard a gasp and then there was a dead silence for a few seconds so I identified myself and why I was calling and she asked me HOW I GOT THE NUMBER THAT I HAD JUST CALLED BECAUSE THAT NUMBER WAS AN OBSOLETE NUMBER and the people that I had asked for were her parents and they both had been dead since the 1970's and somehow I had reached the person that I was calling about, which was a different number entirely and so she kept questioning me and asking me how in the world I had got her number and I was just as puzzled as she was. I just said that the research had given me the number and that was all the information I had and our purpose was to send the persons records to the ward where they lived and she just wanted to keep on talking and wanted to know more about my calling. She said that she was going to go back to church but had moved and was so busy and you know the story of inactivity. She said to me that maybe this was the way her parents had of communicating with her and to get back to Church and of course I just couldn't deny that or confirm it but I really felt that MAYBE it had been divine intervention how else would the phone connect to her phone and we know that anything is possible with the Lord.

On my sign out sheet I had 57 calls and got 1 address but it certainly was a great feeling to know that what I was doing was really important!

ANOTHER DAY AFTER A HOLIDAY!!

Yesterday was a beautiful peaceful day in the neighborhood and the parade was great. I am just amazed at the things that my kids can do. Patti and Bill traveled to Las Vegas (I guess because it isn't hot enough here) but before they left after painting my bathroom, taking me shopping for things to make our bathrooms more people friendly, cleaned and polished, then went to Penni's to finish the new Gazebo. I can't believe how hard they worked and all I could do was just watch it happen.

Wendall's bathroom wasn't painted yet and I just figured the blue tape around the mirror and on the floor was a promise that it would be done sometime - well the girls painted and put everything back and then put the new shower curtain up and all of this before they went to finish penni's Gazebo which is really a beautiful addition.

Wendall loves the color of burgundy so this was the color he was going to have to add to his bathroom. The girls just wouldn't settle for anything except what he had asked for in color. All of this is making decisions and I am a mess of indecision and it gives me a headache even to think about. The bottom line is Wendall is just absolutely thrilled with the color the only problem he is going to have to drag an old towel out to use because the towels hanging are for looks . It is fun to hear him comment on this. The girls piled stuff in my basket while we are shopping and I am just following them. What an experience that was. Well as I told you Pat and Bill went to Las Vegas and Penni invited us over to break in her new addition (Gazebo). If I do sometime get pictures I will post them because the color is beautiful especially in the hall bathroom. Just one more thing to add is that we just can't get the shower curtain (the outer one) wet because it says dry clean only isn't that a hoot. This was a burst to help the economy so this makes me very happy. All of this in the day and life of MEEEEEEE!!

BACK TO HO HUM HAIR!AND OTHER THINGS!!!

Today being Saturday I decided to go back and have a trim and blow dry from Donna my original hair person. I really needed something to pick me up and well she did my hair and it's the same mould and I am not going to show my two very up to date girls until I have broken the mould by Monday. I am what I am and so there! I have so enjoyed reading all of your blogs and comments and everyone is so clever. I am loving the enthusiasm for life that this gives me because of the way you take everything that happens in stride.

This is the week of plumber. I HAVE A NEW TOILET! NEW PAINT! NEW VANITY AND CHEST THAT I CAN REALLY STORE THINGS IN ! The only problem is...... Wendall tried to fix a leak under the sink and so now I can't even use the sink. We may have to demolish the house in order to get things back in order. Gary came and fixed the sink but he didn't tighten the drain REALLY TIGHT but left it SO HE COULD COME BACK AND PUT THE OTHER SHELF IN FOR ME and THE DA***## THING DIDN'T LEAK UNTIL HE LEFT (wouldn't you know). SOOOOOOOOOOO Wendall with his wrenches decided he could tighten the drain - WRONG! WRONG! WRONG !! IT is now 7pm and he hasn't got it working but the DA**### thing is sure pretty even if I can't use it. Back to why I decided I needed to get my hair done HO HUMMM! At least my toilet works and my tub is still functional ALL IS WELL - ALL IS WELLLLL!!!!! Love you all !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TO WENDALL!!

Grandpa Wendall had his great big birthday and turned "80" so we did what all MORE MATURE PEOPLE DO - we went shopping for garden stuff and had lunch at the exclusive CHUCK-A-RAMA WHERE ALL OF THE MORE MATURE AND FUN PEOPLE GO (of course).

What is really exciting is getting from one place to another without someone getting angry at me and wanting me out of the way as we are driving along BUT I DIDN'T GET SHOT OR RUN OFF THE ROAD (WOW).

We took so many detours around the orange barrels that we really didn't know where we were for a few minutes SOOOOOOO much for Bountiful. At the price of gas at the pump we really don't think driving is very much fun.

This last week has been a very busy week and when I try to think back to what we did I CAN'T REMEMBER! One great thing is getting DE JUNKED and a GREAT BIG THANK YOU GOES TO PATTI AND PENNI FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN HELPING US. Now the challenge is to get the stuff into the garbage can and not have us look and try to save the stuff.

We started with the garage and what a surprise all of the stuff we have saved and so bravely Patti and Penni hauled stuff out of the garage and put into three separate piles for Wendall to go through (this was done after dark with a flashlight and Brother Camomile came over and helped Wendall while I hid in the house) I couldn't believe all of the stuff that finally got thrown out. When the garbage truck came the next day and not really soon enough and picked up the THREE BIG CANS FILLED TO THE TOP AND OVERFLOWING IT WAS BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!! I can't believe all of the catalogs and magazines and paper that we had saved. I really hope we don't have a flood or earthquake after we get done with this.

I just hope that this is a BIRTHDAY THAT GRANDPA WENDALL WILL REMEMBER FOR A LONG TIME! This has been the best birthday present anyone could receive so A GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT TO PENNI AND PATTI AND A HAPPY 80th FOR GRANDPA WENDALL!

Love to you all

MY EXPERIMENT WITH PICTURES!

I Do know when this picture was taken and that was in Kennewick, Washington. We visited Aimee in February and it was during my birthday week and Landen was just a week old. Isn't he just the most beautiful, most handsome baby and with so much hair just like Aimee had when she was born.

This is Hailey holding Abby when Kami was baptized - let me know if I have my facts right because sometimes I don't get all of my dates and times right but oh well that is up to you to help me and I am learning What to do and when they took place. For posterity this is the Skolmoski girls. Aren't they absolutely the cutest.

This is my big experiment with downloading pictures into MY BLOG!! This is Michael when he visited us quite sometime ago - I think last fall and I wanted to put it into my blog and when I took the picture.

I will try to be more organized on my next blog because I want to take a picture of Pepper watching a dog show and being very intent in what she is doing. We are dog sitting for a couple of days while Penni and her family are at East Canyon and last night I had a meeting with the R.S. and Wendall had a class so the dogs were left home to watch TV - well when I got home their was a dog special show on KBYU and all of these dogs were parading and showing off and the thing that really made me laugh was Pepper sitting in front of the TV and very intent on watching the show with her head moving from side to side - I know this sounds crazy but this is actually what happened and if we can catch her watching a show again I WILL TAKE A PICTURE BECAUSE SHE WAS SO DARN CUTE!!! I feel like Dr. (Doolittle), I'm not sure that is how you spell his name but you know who I am talking about. I know you think that I have gone to the dogs and that isn't so bad.

WHAT A WEEK!!!!!!!!

I really think that our street is over the hill. We have had the ambulance and paramedics twice over at the Fisher's and Cal is still in the hospital. Barbara Fisher called this morning and said guess what I am in the hospital and they brought all of my stuff with me and she meant all of her papers and stuffed animals. The bottom line is she is still home but doesn't know it. I think I need to read all of your blogs and get back into the real world. Our neighbor Clem Jay who lives down the street died Sunday. There are so many weird things going on that when I read the up- beat blogs such as Kimberly's latest about how her kids are so cute with one another and how much she loves being their mother it fills me with such joy. In this world of terrible things happening I know that my grandchildren are doing what they need to and the importance of the home.

I also read Tina's blog and saw the pictures of each one of the girls and how much she loves her little family. These wonderful moments make me so happy and grateful for my blessings of family.

Oh yes, when I really need a diversion I turn on the political STUFF on Fox news and that is really uplifting. Maybe Hillary needs the extra support of our Service Men who are REALLY DODGING SNIPER FIRE to make her feel better about herself. You know the news is really quite entertaining and if we aren't all crazy by November it won't be the fault of this crazy election season of 2008.

My plea to each one of you is to help me keep SANE whatever that is by blogging.

SUNDAY AGAIN!!!

Here I am trying to remember what I did this last week and it seems like a blur between last Sunday and this Sunday. Our life is full of so much fun such as waiting in Drs offices for appointments and oh yes Angie had her teeth cleaned and I told Patti this and she just rolled her eyes (I know I was on the phone) but I could hear her roll her eyes and said for HEAVENS SAKES MOM SHES ONLY A DOG. You know I guess we are crazy because she had to be given and IV and then put to sleep so they could open her mouth, she must be related to me because I do need pampering too.

I am gradually breaking in my NEW CLOTHES it seems to be such a shock to me. I am really a strange (I guess) person. I love the pictures that are posted by all of you and so Wendall took me to Barnes and Noble and bought me a BIG FAT BOOK on how to use my computer because I seem to be to stubborn for him to teach me. This BIG FAT BOOK starts out - Plug in Computer. Turn on computer. You know, all of the basics that every little child knows and then I wanted to know how to enter pictures into my blog and that chapter was about chapter 9 and I was in a hurry oh welllllll my attention span is really short.

I seem to want to hurry through to the stuff that I am supposed to learn first before I can do the stuff that I am really interested in. When Wendall found the computer book and there were two and one was smaller than the other one and HE PICKED THE BIGGER ONE FOR ME. I don't know but maybe he will test me on it chapter by chapter and make me redo if I fail.

My question is -- is my brain shrinking?? I am maybe just scattered. I am going to resolve to CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING AND then go on to something else.

I really love my new computer even though I know that I must be patient.

Uncle Steve called me yesterday and told me that Dana, Kathi's daughter, received a full scholarship to the U of U and that is certainly wonderful. Dana is a 4.0 student and she will be given $2,500 for living also. I am so happy to see great things happen to this family.

I really am rambling so I will go on to studying my BIG FAT BOOK.
Keep posting the pictures because this makes me feel like we are really connected.

I really love my family.
Grandma H

SUNDAY MORNING CRAZY!!!

It has been a GREAT DAY now that it is evening. I bought all of these clothes in Washington and there seems to be a mental quirk that I have because I started getting ready for church early enough - we have the 11 to 2 meetings and it seemed that I wanted to wear something new - wellll that was when my dilemma I ended up emptying all of my clothes out of the closet and putting them on the bed and by that time it was late and we needed to get out of the door to go to church. The bottom line is I put on my same OLD UNIFORM AND we left and of course parking is a major problem so we just made it just in time. It was really great because we got there late enough that they couldn't call on me or Wendall for prayer. When we got home THE DARN CLOTHES WERE STILL THERE IN A HEAP ON THE BED and by this time I decided that I really needed to get a grip the night before and leave all of this kind of frustration behind. I guess if I just get ready for the day and then get over myself would be the best thing for me to do because after all age gives me LICENSE to put bright red lipstick on and very blue eyeshadow (or whatever color) and just GO and smile (with smeared lipstick in the fine lines around my mouth and on my teeth) and act my age. I really do think that maybe I need a SHRINK to help me through the shock of my birthday. Oh well ALL IS WELL and I did get my clothes hung up and by that time I was really exhausted whewwwwwww !!!!!!!! So goes the day in the life of MEEE.

I loved the new blogs and today, MONDAY, is Bob's birthday and a GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT TO HIM FROM US! Love ya all! Keep on blogging and sharing all of the fun experiences with the kids.

SPRING IS COMING HOORAY!!!!!!!

I am really happy to begin planning a garden and getting the yard cleaned up. I can dream can't I. Today is NEW BEGINNINGS FOR THE "HANDS" WE STARTED BACK WALKING WITH OUR GOLDY OLDIES. It is time to begin to lengthen our shuffle. For you that are interested, this Saturday the 8th of March is our Zion's Market. If you are interested in picking up some good bargains the price is very reasonable $0.00. This is the time of year that people start to clear out furniture, clothing, toys, gardening equipment etc. and other years they have had some really great stuff. If you are interested it starts at 10 am and closes at 3 pm.

I am using my NEW COMPUTER and it is taking some getting used to.so if things seem to be spelled wrong or I lose my train of thought just know that I am really struggling with learning a new thing. I am not used to such a modern toy that does things without my doing so I bounce back a forth without knowing what happened. Thanks for all of your blogs WITH PICTURES. One thing at a time but I did take some cute pictures of "Landen Kyle Linde" with the rest of the Linde children and all of us. The trip to Washington State was really fun and playing games with everyone was really special in our little room at the motel where we stayed. We went shopping for new clothes for ME and now I have to take the labels off and start wearing them. I get used to wearing one thing and that seems to be the way I am. It is fun though to look forward to something new for Spring to wear. I think maybe I should start working on getting Wendall to junk his old clothes Pre-Mission suits but he is very unselfish this way and just wants the best for me. Talk about guilt, I really had a wonderful birthday thanks to my family.

LIFE IS RUSHING BY TOOOO FAST!!

Here it is February 15th and we don't even have all of our Christmas taken down and now the decision is whether to leave them up until next Christmas. Some of our neighbors are still turning on their Christmas lights outside because of the heavy snow that we have had and they are still pretty but on with the next Holiday. One of the delights of my life is seeing the pictures posted by everyone and reading the blogs. We have Avery born Feb. 1st and Landen born Feb. 8th. This is wonderful to have them added to our family. Katelyn was born last Sept. 19, 2007 and she is really an adorable little girl. It is really great to have these great grandhildren. I do believe that the Lord is letting these little ones come to our family. We really are blessed.

Tomorrow is my 78th birthday and that makes me an old person. I can't remember when I passed up middle age and went right into old but here I am. I just got through talking to Steve and of course he told me that I was an old person and I would always be older than him GRRRRRRRR! Well I got that out of my system. I am at the age where my kids are paying my social security and the government wants us to stop trying to live to be a hundred and being a drain on medicare. This is the inevitable but not really a thing to look forward to because of the things that fall apart on us. I am rambling because that is what we old people do. I am looking forward to seeing Aimee and the new little boy (Landen). Well onward and upward to spring and having the birds chirping again. Love all of you and talk to you later.

WELL IT'S JANUARY!!

It is so fun to get up in the morning and open up the blogs and to see what new has been happening with my family. You all have such a talent of expressing yourselves. I have news for my family and - that is you don't have to be pregnant to be temperamental. You know how I am and I get on a kick of being mean. My problem is PLASTIC BOTTLES. I find them everywhere and I take such pleasure in finding them and then smashing them. I guess growing up such things as stuff to store things in it was hard to find both in Wendall's family and my family so when we emptied a jar or plastic something we saved it and used it for storage. When we had a jelly jar (which was very seldom) we saved it to drink in. Those hard times one doesn't just get over just cause we get older. We are all people who somewhat copy the way we were raised (But not all of the time). Do you remember Patti taking my refrigerator pan that I used to bake a roast in because she thought that was the only way to do a roast. This was because I didn't have any other pan. We do things the way our parents did them sometimes. I remember when I really wanted store bought WHITE bread and not homemade because mom always made our bread and we seldom had store bought bread. Memories are a really wonderful thing and your children will grow up wanting to do the things that you did.

I do remember in my day dreams I was always going to wear a fresh dress and apron and HIGH HEAL SHOES because I really thought that was so beautiful. I was going to be fashionably dressed no matter what. That didn't last long. I really wanted to have long black hair and beautiful brown eyes because my friend Diana Cleveland had the long hair and brown eyes and I definitely wasn't going to have freckles. Well I had all of the opposite and FRECKLES as big as Ginger Snaps - that is what my Grandpa Stevens (Pop as we called him) said my freckles were like. I remember sending away for freckle remover and when it came it almost removed my skin but not the freckles. I see some of the same things in my great grandchildren and I just love the way you are with them. You never can love them too much.

I hope you get a kick out of reading my memories because it is fun to share.

With my new great grandchildren coming I love everyone of them and they will all have their own special personality. Keep posting the pictures because I look forward to all of them. Keep the blogs coming because it is just like we are talking to each other. LOVE YOU LOTS!!!

DOWN WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW!!!

Thanks to all of you and your encouragement to BLOG. When I read your blogs I feel like the richest person in the world. I really loved the tribute to marriage on Kimberly's blog and how she feels about Devon after 15 yrs of dating and marriage. My how the time has flown by and the babies that have been born and the wonderful homes that they have come to. Your blogs are like reading the Ensign and the advice that comes to all of us in these articles by the GA's.

I just really need the lift that you give me on these cold, dreary, etc. days. Well yesterday I had a hair cut and color put on my hair but I turned my phone off just after calling Patti and when she tried to return my call my phone was off so she called Penni and also Wendall. I was gone for 4 hrs. because of stubborn hair wellllllll needless to say I was just fine but it created a little heartburn in the girls and Wendall. I KNEW WHERE I WAS SO WHAT'S TO WORRY.

Every day is an adventure for me but this is the time to be grateful for everything even the TRIALS so thank you for the great blogs. Michael, I really need to know how you are I know that you are working and doing homework for school and all but please let me know if you need anything. Our meeting time changed after the 1st of the year and we are now on the 11 to 2 schedule. We do keep busy doing stuff . Wendall is teaching the 4th Sunday in Priesthood and this is great because he has such a wealth of knowledge and this experience is a challenge but GREAT.

I wish there was some way that I could help Uncle Steve through this tragic year with a knowledge that there is something better for him than just the now. He calls me everyday and he shares his feelings and he has been dreaming about Kathi and it puzzles him. One day I do believe that he will realize and grab hold of what life is about but he is so stubborn. I don't want him to lose everything that is truly valuable. Enough of this.

I am happy that Tina is home and recovering. Love to you all. Happy blogging!!!

DOWN WITH THE CHRISTMAS STUFF!!

We really had a wonderful Christmas and now onward and upward for 2008. It is really funny because we have had so many parties for me who is really a recluse as soon as the sun goes down so PARTY, PARTY, PARTY.


Well, I started this blog just after Christmas and now Monday, 7th of Jan. 2008 I decided to start again. How is that for being very slow. I love reading all of your blogs but for some reason I can't comment on any of your blogs except Diane's sooo HELP! What am I doing wrong because I just need to comment. I love the comments that I get but WHY OH WHY AM I HAVING SUCH A TIME?

I want you all to know that this is back to sanity. What a month Dec. 2007 was. I am really tired of the political scene so I am going to work at the polls on Feb. 5th I really do this because I enjoy people (Wendall thinks that I am really crazy and maybe I am) but this is a part of getting involved. Today I went back to the "Lost and Found" dept. for the Church and had wonderful success so I renewed my parking for another 6 months.

Robyn you have such a cute way with Parker and he is so darn smart. I know another baby will make a big difference for the better. I remember going to a drive-in movie with Gary thinking that he would be good and go to sleep - wellllll he started to scream and he never did shut up until we left the movie without seeing it to the end - this was before Penni and Patti so I guess he must have been about 8 months or 9 months old because I was pregnant wow what an experience but when they were born he (Gary) had to grow up and he was such a cute little boy and very helpful because I really needed him to be.

I feel really frustrated not being able to comment on your blogs so if you can help me and I know you can PLEASE FIX IT SO I CAN LEAVE COMMENTS it's kind of like having my arms tied and my mouth taped shut. I love all of you and HAPPY NEW YEAR AND HAPPY BLOGGING NEW YEAR.